Addressing machine



April 21, 1931.- A E, STRIPPEL 1,801,393 ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 15. 1927 INVENTOR M1; 8 f MJL ATTORNEYS l UnirseV srrs-s and Patented Apr. 2l,V 1931 ALBERT E;VSTRIPPEL, lOIF ,RIDGEFIELD PAR-K, NEW JERSEY Annnnssine MAenINn Application filed October 15, 19.27. Serial No. 226,390.

This invention relates to an improvement in addressing machines, and more specifically,

to a stencil track for such machines.

Addressing machines as commonly con- 'istructed include thegeneral features cfa Vertical stack of stencils to be used, a horizontal track for vguiding and staining the stencils in proper position while they are being'fed in single file through the 'printing portion of the machine, and a receptacle for receiving the stencils from the track after they have been useda Machines of this sort may be divided into two types, one in which Jthe stencils pass'toward the operator from a stack at the rear to a receptacle inthe front, and the other in which the stencils pass before the operator from a stack at one side to a receptacle at the4 other. The

' latter type has numerous points of advantage and the improvement of this invention relates particularly to' tracks useful therein.

ln further explanation it may be stated that'stencil filing systemsfrequcntly require the attachment to certain stencils oi small projecting tabs orvflags, generally metallic colored or otherwise distinctively marked. Heretofore it has been necessary when using stencilsin'afmachine'of the sccond type, to remove any tabs attached thereto so as to have their margins unincumbcred i for passage along the tracks. The tabs so 'removed had, ofcourse, to be replaced later,

and it apparent .thatv very considerab .,annoyance resulted from this necessity for removalV andrcplacement, inview of the fact that addressing machines vvare generally adapted to print approximately one hundred stencils per minute, and that a run may consists of from ten thousand to one million or more stencils,l many of which will bear tabs as described. This necessity has, indeed, l,generally been regarded as prohibitively burdensome and resort has been had to machines of the iirst (back-to-front) type whenever tabbed stencils have been 'used in large quantitles, with resulting disadvantage to manufacturers of addressing machines of the sed ond type as well as to the users, sincetlie Y latter machines are in many important respects preferable to the former.

f effectively/'be attained.

` type, such that stencils bearing tabs may pass therethrough.

Another object is to provide such a track which will guide accurately and steadily both plain and tabbed stencils.

A further object consists in providing certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, fwherc- '75l by the above named and other objectsmay A practical embodiment ofthe invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, inwhicli Fig. l represents a plan view of a lpair of addressing machine trackswith a series oi stencils passing therebetween, a portion, of one track being broken away;

Fig. '2 represents f an enlarged transverse 70 section at the linelll ll of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 represents an .enlargeddetail longitudinal section at the line III-III of Fig.

l, looking in the direction of the arrows; vand 5 Fig. 4lrepresents an enlarged detail transverse section at the line IV-IV of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, a plain track member of the form commonly in use isI denoted by l; 9" this member includes a. guide groove 2 adapted to embrace and support an edge cfa stencil 4. Parallel to the track member l and spaced therefrom' is another track meinbei' 5, having a terraced form as shownin. *"7 Figs. 2 and 4, including a. lower horizontal portion 6, an undercut wall portion 7, an yupper horizontal portion 8 andan upper vcrtical wall portion 9. A top plate .10 is se cured to the top of the member 5 so as to extend substantially as fai". as its lower horizontal portion'. VT he stencils areshown provided with tabs or flags 11, of a customary form. l 'I Referring particularly to Fig. 2, it will be 0" seen that the body of ther stencilgis retained in proper alinement by the groove 2in the track member 1 and bythe lower horizontal portion 6 and undercut wallf portion '(infthevh |`track 4member 5. This relationship' obtains 'm0 uite irrespective of the tabs or flags 11.

he latter project into the recess 12 formed by the upper horizontal portion 8, the upper vertical wall portion 9 and the top plate 10, and pass freely along said recess While the stencils are retained in position as stated above. Any tendency of the stencils 4 to get into the recess 12 is counteracted by the undercut formation of the Wall portion 7 and, additionally, by the provision of a small curved leaf-spring 13 secured. to the top plate 10 in a suitable manner, as by screws 14 or the like, and projecting through an aperture 15 therein, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. While only one such spring is shown, it is obvious that any desired number may be provided and that they will serve to retain thev stencils in position While yet offering but a negligible resistance to their passage.

Thus it will be seen that the novel form of track herein described and shown will enable any addressing machine of the second (sideto-side) type to be adapted to the use of tabbed stencils.

It will be understood that various changes ma be resorted to in the form, construction an arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence, I do not intend to be limited t0 the details herein shown and described except as they may be included in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided with a projecting tab and a track for guiding the stencil, said track including a recessed portion adapted to receive an edge of the stencil and a recessed portion adapted to receive the projecting tab, the portion first named being bounded laterally by an undercut wall.

2. In an addressing machine, a stencil track including, a recessed portion adapted to receive an edge of a stencil, a recessed portion adapted to receive a projection from the edge of the stencil, and means for holding the stencil down steady in the recessed portion first named.

3. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided with a tab projecting therefrom in a plane substantially parallel to the central plane of the stencil, and a track for guiding the stencil and tab. said track including a rccessed portion adapted to receive an edge of the stencil and another recessed portion adapted to receive the projecting tab.

4. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided with a project-ing tab, and a track for guiding the stencil, said track including a recessed portion adapted to receive an edge of the stencil, a recessed portion adapted to receive the projecting tab, and means for holding the stencil down steady in the receased portion first named.

5. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided with a projecting tab, and a track for guiding the stencil, said track including a recessed portion adapted to receive an edge of the stencil, a recessed portion adapted to receive the projecting tab, and a yielding pressure device for holding the stencil down steady in the recessed portion first named.

6. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided With a projecting tab, and a track for guiding the stencil, said track includin a recessed portion adapted to receive an edge of the stencil, a recessed portion adapted to receive the projecting tab, a top plate extending above the edge of the stencil, and a yielding pressure device carried by said plate for holding the stencil down steady in the recessed portion first named.

7. In an addressing machine, a stencil track including a. lower horizontal portion adapted to support an edge of a stencil, an undercut wall portion designed to retain the stencil against displacement, an upper horizontal portion and upper vertical portion providing a recess for the accommodation of a projection from the edge of the stencil, and a top plate extending above the edge of the stencil.

8. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided with a projecting tab, and a track for guiding the stencil, said track including a lower horizontal portion adapted to support an edge of the stencil, an undercut wall portion designed to retain the stencil against displacement, an upper horizontal portion and upper vertical wall portion providing a recess for the accommodation of the projecting tab, and a top plate extending above the edge of the stencil.

9. In an addressing machine, a stencil provided With a projecting tab, and a track for guiding the stencil, said track including a lower horizontal portion adapted to support an edge of the stencil, an undercut wall portion designed to retain the stencil against displacement, an upper horizontal portion and upper vertical Wall portion providing a recess for the accommodation of the projecting tab, a top plate extending above the edge of the stencil, and a yielding pressure device carried by said plate for holding the edge of the stencil down steady upon the lower horizontal portion.

In testimony. that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 13th day of October, 1927.

ALBERT E. STRIPPEL. 

